Freight-handling system.



W. H. MOCUNE.

FREIGHT HANDLING SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION IILBD JAN. 2. l1912.

Patented 001;. 1, 1912.

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W. H. MoGUNE. FREIGHT HANDLING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION IILIID JAN.2. 1912. Patented Oct-' 1 1912.V

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FREIGHT HANDLING SYSTEM.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 2, 1912.

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Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

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1 WILLIAM H. MCCUNE, OF MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA.

- FREIGHT-HANDLING SYSTEM. I l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oet. 1,1912.

Application tiled January 2, 1912. Serial No. 668,968.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WiLLIAM H. Mo- CUNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monrovia, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Freight-Handling Systems; and l do hereby declare the following to be a fnll, clear, and exact description of the inventlon, such as will4 enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

i Myinvention relates to new and useful i improvements in freight handling systems and the like, and the object of my invention is to improve the efficiency of systems of the above described type.

lA further object of my invention is to provide a plurality of transport cars adapted to operate on a track running between the latform of the frei ht house and the reight cars and provi ed with a plurality of transversely extending tracks upon which are mounted a plurality of trucks adapted ,to be rolled either from the transport cars to the freight platform or to the freight cars. as desired. By th'ismeans a plurality of the trucks may be loaded and wheeled upon the transport carV which is then moved past the freight cars, the filled trucks nbeing discharged to their` respective cars and un-v loaded, after which the unloaded carriers or trucks are taken up by the transport car. upon its return trip and are finally deposited upon the' freight platform.

l further object of myl invention is to improve thefconstruction of the transport cars andthe trucks.l And a still further object of my invention is to provide the transport cars with swinging apronsl adapted to be' lowered and lto act as gang ways over which the trucks pass to the latform or thel freight cars, said aprons eing so arranged and adapted lthat their swinging intraised and. lowered position will automatically'actuate 4a lockvfor blocln'ng and unblocking the wheels of the trucks contained upon their' respective tracks.

With these and other lobjects in view, my invent-ion will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodimentof my device and' then s eciiicallyl pointed outr in the claims whic are attached to and form a part of this application. f

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan View of my improved system y in operation. Fig. 2 is a top plan of one of the transport cars showing a number of trucks in position. Fig. 3 isa side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 1s a side elevation of one of the trucks. Fig. 5 is a top lplan of the same. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan of fone of thel aprons in lraised position, to-

. gether with chuck and operating" mechanism thereof. Fig. 7 is a similar view showing theapr'onin lowered position and the chucks 1n lnoperative position. Fig.' 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the lock actuating mechanisms. Fig. 9 is a vertical section through one of the pivot lugs connecting the bolt operating levers with the connecting rods as shown in Fig'. 8. Fig. 10

is a detail view of the hinge which connects the apron to the side bar of the car.

Referring more specificallyl to the drawings, in which similar reference numerals' designate corresponding parts throughout, 10 designates the platform of a freight station, 11 and 12 siding tracks of the freight yard upon which are a lurality of freight cars 13, vand 14: the trac for the transport cars which as shown, passes by the platform and also between the tracks 11 and 12. Operating upon lthis track 14 are a plurality of transport cars 15 each of which carries a plurallty of trucks 16.

Referrin more specifically to Figs. 2 and 3 of the rawings each of the transport cars consists of a pair of spaced trucks 17 and 18 upon which is mounted the body of the car which as a whole, is designated by the numeral 19 and which consists of side and end members 20, preferably formed of angle iron, and a longitudinally extending central brace member 21 which is preferably formed of channel iron. A plurality of tracks 22 each formed of angle iron, are' secured upon this platform in spaced pairs extending transversely thereof, these tracks bein adapted to receive the'trucks 16. Each of t ese transport cars is provided at its ends with Vany preferred form of automatic opposite each end of each pair of truck tracks. Each-of the hinges by means of which these aprons are connected to the side members 20 lof 'the transfer cars consists of an l'.- shaped plate 25 bolted or otherwise se cured to the member 20 with'its laterally directed arm 27 uppermost in position to support the 'apron in lowered position and a second plate 26 secured to the apron and hin ed to the angle portion of the plate as s own in Fig. 6 of the drawings. These aprons are normally held in raised position 'v by chains 28 one end of each of. which 1s"- securedto the member 20 and the other ends of which are provided with hooks 29 which engage over the upper edges of the aprons when the`latter are-in raised position, thesechains being supported by engaging their hooks with the rods 30 when the aprons are lowered. Each ofthe aprons isV provided with a pair of outwardly diverging braces 31 which also serve, when the apron is in lowered position, for the guidance of the 4one is sufficient. v members consists of a brace strip 32 extendytrucks as they are being rolledl on to 4the transport cars. I

Each pair of tracks 22 isprovided at each end with an automatic lock actuated by the swinging of an apron and adapted, when the apron is in raised position to block the wheels of the truck and prevent its movement upon the tracks. As all of these locking members are identical a description of Eachy of Ythese locking ing transversely` of the tracks and secured to the upper faces thereof and pivoted to the central portion of this strip is a pair of bell -crank levers 33 and 34, said levers being mounted by a`- single pivot pin 35. Pivoted to the forward end ofeach of these levers is a bolt 36 which operates through a guide loop 37 carried by oneof the tracks upon the transport car and `which in extended position passes through a suitable aperture 37 1 formed in the lvertical flange of the track. Swivelly mounted in the end of v the other arm of each of these levers is an upwardly directed lug 38 and pivotally connected to ,these lugs are connecting rods 39 the other ends of which lare pivotally connected between ears 40 carried by the apron 24.

As wllbe best seen by Areferring to Figs.

i. 6 and 7 of the drawings these bolts are held sistof a 'floor o r platform'41 supported upon,

a pair of rear wheels 42 and-.va pair of forwardl wheels 43 the latter of "which arey swivelly mounted whereby the truck may be readily turned. Extending lupwardly at the forward end of this platform is a solid front wall 44 preferablyA formed ofv metal. The remaining walls of the truck are formed by a plurality of lvertically extending, spaced posts 45 which are detachably mounted in suitable sockets formed in the floor of the truck and which form a rack for holding the goods Ain position. kEach of these posts is provided intermediate its length with a hook 46 and when the `truck chain 47 which is passed around lthe same and engaged by the hooks. rlhe front axle of the truck is provided with a bore through which is slidably mounted a rod 48.pr0vided at its inner end with an enlarged head 49f -is loaded the rack is braced by means of a and at its vouter end with a handle 50 by I means of which the truck may be drawn, theA head 49 preventing the disengagement of the rod vfrom the axle while at the same time permitting the rodto be slipped back be- I neath the truck when the handle is not in use. f i As will be readilym seen from the foregoing description I have.l provided an extremely simple system for handling freight and have also provided improved transport cars and trucks for use with my system. It will also be seen that' l have provided the transport cars with a novel form of swinging apron and with alock for the wheels of the truck, said lock being so constructed as to be automaticallyr actuated by the swinging of the apron.

It will of course be understood that minor changes in the details of construction may bemade if desired without in the slightest vdegree departing from the spirit of my invention. 1

What I claim is i .1. ln a freight handling system, thecombin'ation with a transport car, ofa plurality of trucks carried by said car, said car including side and end members and a plurality of. pairsof spaced tracks secured to the sidemembers and extending transversely of the car and adapted to receive the trucks, a plurality of aprons swingingly mounted to the side members yof the cars oneadj acent each end of each of the pairs of tracks, said aprons being adapted to serve asgang ways when in lowered position, and means for securing saidaprons in raised position.

' 2. In a freight handling system, the combinationl with a transport car, of a pluralityk of trucks carried` by said car, said car includin'g side and end members and a pluralityof pairs of spaced tracks secured to the side members and extending transversely of the car and. adapted to receive-the trucks, a plurality of aprons swingingly mounted to the side members `of the car one adjacent each end of each of vthe pairs of tracks, said aprons being adapted to serve as gang ways when in lowered position, a pair of diverging braces secured to each member and serving as guides for the positioning of the trucks upon their rails.

3.. In a freight handling system, the combination with a transport car, of a plurality of trucks carried by said carsaid car including side and end members and Ia plurality of pairs of spaced'tracks'secured to the side members and extendin transversely of the car and adapted to recelve the trucks, a plurality of aprons swingingly mounted to the side members of th'e car one adjacent each end of each of the pairs of tracks, said aprons being adapted to serve as gang ways when in lowered position, a plura ity of locks for locking the trucks against movement on the rails, and means coacting between said aprons and locks for actuating the locks.

4. In a freight handling system, the com-l bination with a transport car, of a plurality of trucks carried by said car, said car including side and end members and a plurality of pairs of spaced trucks secured to the slde members and extending transversely of the car and adapted to receive the trucks,

-a plurality of aprons swingingly mounted to the side members of the cars one adjacent each end of each of the pairs of tracks, said aprons being adapted to serve as gang ways when in lowered position, and locking means for securing the trucks in position upon the rails, said locking means being actuated by the swinging of the aprons, said locking means consistin ofja brace bar secured to the lower face o therails adjacent each endtz a pair of bell crank levers pivoted to each. o

said brace bars, a bolt pivoted toone end of each of said levers and adapted for movement across a track, and links operatively connecting the free arms of said levers withy the apron.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

' WILLIAM H. MCCUNE. Witnesses: C. H. SEBCER,

HoMER FORT. Y 

